fbpx
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Legal Notices
Lagniappe Mobile
  • News
    • Cover Story
    • Latest
    • Serial Stories
    • Bay Briefs
    • Community News
    • Open Documents
    • e-Edition
  • Baldwin Edition
  • Commentary
    • Damn the Torpedoes
    • Hidden Agenda
    • Beltway Beat
    • The Real Deal
    • Weather Things
    • The Gadfly
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Cuisine
    • The Dish
    • Word of Mouth
    • Beer and Loathing
    • Cuisine Directory
  • Arts
    • Artifice
    • Art Gallery
    • The Reel World
    • Calendar
  • Music
    • Music Feature
    • Music Briefs
    • Music Listings
    • Submissions
  • Sports
    • The Score
    • The Starting Line-Up
    • From Behind The Mic
    • Upon Further Review
  • Style
    • Media Frenzy
    • Mobile Magnified
    • Horoscopes
    • Master Gardeners
    • Style Feature
  • Lagniappe HD

Select Page

Board member: GulfQuest won’t ‘make March date’

Posted by Alyson Stokes | Dec 23, 2014 | Bay Briefs | 3 |

Although crews are finishing up its fit-out, the GulfQuest National Maritime Museum grand opening may not be held until late spring, according to members of the museum’s Board of Trustees. If so, it would put the museum opening almost three years behind its original schedule.

The latest reports pegged the museum opening in March, but Alabama Port Authority CEO and GulfQuest board member Jimmy Lyons said it would most likely open later than expected.

GulfQuest, nearly three years beyond its initial ‘substantial completion date,’ may not officially open for visitors until summer 2015.

GulfQuest, nearly three years beyond its initial ‘substantial completion date,’ may not officially open for visitors until summer 2015.

“It’s probably going to be later in spring,” Lyons said. “It’s getting close, but I don’t think it’ll make the March date.”

Lyons said GulfQuest would probably open to the public in May or June, but it would be a “spectacular museum” when it does.

He said a lot of exhibits are already in and crews are finishing up punch list items.

“Nobody’s more anxious than those of us on the board of trustees,” Lyons said.

The GulfQuest building was issued its certificate of occupancy from the city in July. At the time, Executive Director Tony Zodrow put the opening date at six months from the issuance of that certificate, which would’ve put the date near the end of the year. City spokesman George Talbot said previously the museum would have a soft opening this month before ramping up to a grand opening in March.

Talbot said Monday the city is currently paying about $20,000 a month for the building’s utilities and will continue to do so until it opens. The operating agreement between the city and GulfQuest states the museum will reimburse the city for “services provided to the nonprofit for the operations of the maritime museum.”

The city is also on the hook for any capital repairs on the building’s roof, structure and major systems, Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s Chief of Staff Colby Cooper said. The agreement states GulfQuest will pay for “normal” repairs.

The building did host three holiday parties this month, including one for the Alabama Port Authority.

Zodrow called word of the late spring opening “hearsay” in an email message over the weekend. He wrote there wouldn’t be any further details at this time, but added that a media announcement was in the works.

“Right now, we’re not providing any media tours or new information relative to GulfQuest’s opening in 2015,” he wrote. “We will announce the museum’s opening date at a news conference after the first of the year.”

Board member Mike Lee said the museum plans to have a soft opening with students from area schools in February or March. He said a grand opening would occur after that.

Lee confirmed that crews were still working on punch list items, as well as building out the cafeteria and the gift shop.

The gift shop, designed by a group of Auburn University graduate students, will look like a sunken Spanish ship, Lee said. The ceiling will be painted to look like water and the cash register area will be built out to look like the ship’s crow’s nest, Lee said.

“Exhibits are still being installed,” Lee said. “There will be 92 exhibits in total in the museum.
Every time I go in there are a couple more,” Lee said. “It’s getting exciting.”

The museum’s board has raised $11 million in private funds for the project, Lee said, surpassing a $10 million goal. The goal for private funding has been raised to $12 million, with a public fundraising phase slated to begin after the first of the year, Lee said.

Lee said the city has invested $28 to $32 million in the project and he estimated that the finished product would be a $62 million asset.

GulfQuest has been under construction since 2009 and was originally slated to open in July 2012.
Board member Barry Vittor said trustees are anxious to open the museum to the public, although he added he wasn’t sure if an opening date had been determined.

“It’s going to be spectacular,” Vittor said about GulfQuest. “I think it’ll be a tremendous asset.”

Despite numerous delays since construction began, Mayor Sandy Stimpson previously told Lagniappe he believes GulfQuest will be successful once it’s open.

“I do think it’s a world-class facility based on my walk-throughs of it,” he said earlier this year.
“I think the question marks everybody has in their mind are things we won’t know until we hit the deck running, and that’s will we get people to attend? Not just our citizens, but can we get the visitor to stop and go there? Can we divert some of the traffic off of (Interstate) 10 to go there, like they do the Battleship? That’s one of those things that they have a plan for, they did some research on and they think that it can be done. I’m pulling that they’re right.”

This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access. During the month of December, give (or get) a one year subscription with TWO months FREE.

Share:

Rate:

PreviousSchool board monitoring staff travel expenses
NextLagniappe Dec. 25-31, 2014

About The Author

Alyson Stokes

Alyson Stokes

Related Posts

City has spent almost $200,000 fighting Waste Management

City has spent almost $200,000 fighting Waste Management

December 16, 2020

Gulf Shores residents’ appeal to halt apartments denied again

Gulf Shores residents’ appeal to halt apartments denied again

October 31, 2018

Controversial Daphne Court project up for council vote again

Controversial Daphne Court project up for council vote again

September 26, 2018

911 board throws support  behind EMA facility

911 board throws support behind EMA facility

March 18, 2015

Recommended Stories

New eateries opening and in the works

By Andy MacDonald

Nashville-style songwriters’ round launches in Mobile

By Stephen Centanni

When nothing is true anymore .…

By Ashley Trice

Strange predictions from a stranger visitor

By Rob Holbert

MSO ‘Fanfare’ ushers in new year

By Kevin Lee



  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contacts
  • Jobs
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Give The Gift Of Local News

Search This Site

Browse the Archives

© Lagniappe Mobile 2021

[yop_poll id=”-1″]